Today’s Goals:
- Read 3 articles
- Update thesis journal
- Photograph+upload+blog handwritten notes
Reward:
- Skype date with my mummy and daddy (when they get home from their road trip)
Today’s Goals:
Reward:
Follow up email from supervisor:
Literature Review HQ file naming method
Notes from supervisor:
Today’s literature search terms:
Databases consulted (accessed via ANU):
Notes for remembering later:
Today the power was out from first thing this morning until a little after 5pm. And due to the limited life of my laptop’s battery, I started the day in my notebook (possibly at the pub, where we maybe had lunch).
Without the distraction of the internet (in conjunction with my dead phone battery), I easily completed the final draft of my exhibition proposal (which I’d convinced myself was due tomorrow but, having just checked my diary for something else, is actually due Monday!)
I emailed my thesis supervisor, once the power came back on, about my thesis thoughts. Included the following:
My thesis ideas are heading towards looking at children in galleries (participatory programs, exhibition design, best practice, etc.) and using the NGA, NGV, and QAG as my case studies (relatively easy to visit, significant institutions, varying program structures, etc.) The general ‘question’/‘discussion topic’ I fleshed out before summer school is the following:
Children’s programs and resources at the NGA, NGV, and QAG: best practice, appropriateness of programs and resources, and the involvement of children throughout the institution.
I want to investigate the varying definitions of ‘children,’ what’s working and what’s not, where the institutions differ, how the programs are developed/run, and then try to form some concept of ‘best practice’ for involving children in Australian galleries, etc. and perhaps include some sort of exhibition proposal package as a way of demonstrating how these ideas could be realised by institutions.
Last night my brain refused to shut up until after 3AM. Irritating to say the least. Especially as my exhibition proposal package is due Friday and we have a scheduled power outage all day tomorrow. Therefore, my schedule today is as follows:

Me via Instagram
Here’s hoping I cross it all off. And don’t die of caffeine poisoning (is that possible??)
Posted in Coursework, Off Topic
Tagged daily goals, sleep deprivation, summer school
Today I received what has been dubbed the “Nerdiest. Package. Ever.” from my uni library services. Volumes one and two of Marcie Muir’s A Bibliography of Australian Children’s Books (1970 & 1976). Best use of my (compulsory but deferrable) student fees as an off-campus student. (And yes, yes I do intend to use and abuse this service for my thesis – suckahs shoulda neva let me know about it!)

Source: Me via Instagram
Today has also seen me:

Me via Instagram
On a side note, today also saw me chatting with the NLA (@nlagovau) via Twitter about my research and people to contact in regard to it. Score one for social networking!
Achieved Today
Cleaned the bathroom
Had a nap
Read five articles
I spent about three to four hours this afternoon doing some ‘starter’ research for my exhibition package’s catalogue (my summer school project). It’s making me feel like maybe I want to change the direction of my (potential) thesis! And I’d love too include an exhibition proposal/plan within my thesis
Exhibition Title
Still Reading Picture Books: highlights from the Marcie Muir Collection of the National Library of Australia.
I’m looking into Muir’s collecting policies and practices, and how these are reflected in her collection (which is now held by the NLA).
Posted in Coursework, Thesis Thoughts
Tagged academic goal, accountability, daily goals, daily update, productivity, summer school
Life Update
Academic Accountability (plus some for the home)
My goals for today:
To remember
Requested from ANU library via the Off-Campus Service:
Muir, Marcie. A bibliography of Australian children’s books. Deutsch, 1970.
Lately I have been procrastinating. A lot. I have a million excuses I keep using for avoiding my school work:
And so on and so forth.
It’s so hard to drag myself away from DVDs and YouTube and trashy day-time TV. This month of travel (past and future) has messed up my academic routine to no end and is frustrating the heck outta me!
The next component of my summer school assessment is due on Friday (the same day I leave for my Girl Guides conference) and I need to get it done by tomorrow at 6pm (which is ‘computer shut down time’ for me). Today I have been doing the basics for it, which can then be fleshed out in the final draft.
It makes me feel like I have, maybe, finally started to accomplish something (beyond sitting on the couch all day). I think having posted my ‘to do’ list to Instagram (and subsequently Twitter) really helped me with my accountability (it’s, you know, out there now, so it has to be done).

Source: Me via Instagram
I have about an hour before I wake Dan for the evening and in that time I want to WILL complete the first draft of this assessment (basically, a written exhibition concept proposal).